iFixit

Remove the following 4 screws from the back of the computer:

• Two 7 mm Philips on the far sides.
• Two 10.5 mm Phillips toward the center.
• Do not over-tighten these; you can cause the case to distort.

Remove the two 5.2 mm shouldered Phillips #00 screws from the optical side of the computer.

It is not necessary to remove the similar screws on the other side of the computer.

Starting near the display and working around to the front of the computer, pry up on the upper case. It is held with clips on the right above the optical drive. These will release with some firm lifting pressure.

Be careful when prying up the upper case. It's very easy to slice open a fingertip and thus provide the blood sacrifice the Mac gods sometimes require of those who insist on doing their own repairs.

There's a trackpad and keyboard ribbon connecting the upper case to the logic board, so don't pull the upper case off entirely just yet.

If you have trouble getting the clips to release, be careful that you are not prying the plastic top of the upper case away from its metal frame.

While holding up the upper case, use a spudger to pry up the orange trackpad and keyboard cable from its connector.

If you happen to break your upper case cable when removing the upper case, we stock the cable individually and we have a guide that makes replacing it easy.

Use a spudger to disconnect the orange optical drive cable from the logic board.

Use a spudger to disconnect the black fan connector from the logic board.

Deroute the fan cable from behind the tab on the left side of the fan.

Peel up the silver foil tape between the fan and the optical drive.